Albert II, Duke of Brunswick

Albert (Latin Albertus; c. 1268 – 22 September 1318), called the Fat (pinguis), was a member of the House of Welf, one of the oldest European noble families. He was born around 1268 and died on September 22, 1318. Albert II was the son of Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and Adelheid of Montferrat.

Albert II
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Bornc. 1268
Died(1318-09-22)22 September 1318
Noble familyHouse of Guelph
Spouse(s)Rixa of Werle
IssueRichenza, Abbess of Gandersheim
Mechtild
Jutta
Otto the Mild
Luder
Albert
Henry
Magnus I
Ernest I
FatherAlbert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
MotherAdelheid of Montferrat

The second son of Albert the Tall, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Albert was a boy when his father died in 1279. He was first under guardianship of his uncle, Conrad, Prince-Bishop of Verden, and then of his elder brother, Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1286 the three brothers divided their father's Principality of Wolfenbüttel; Albert received the areas around Göttingen, Minden, Northeim, Calenberg, and Hanover. He made Göttingen his residence, thus Principality of Göttingen. In 1292, the third brother, William, died childless, and Albert and Henry, who had received the Principality of Grubenhagen, quarrelled about William's share, the remaining belittled areas around Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel; Albert finally prevailed.

Family

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On 10 January 1284 Albert married Rixa, daughter of Henry I, Prince of Werle and Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Rikissa Birgersdotter. They had the following children who reached adulthood:

References

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  • Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, vol. 1, p. 261-263[permanent dead link]
  • At the House of Welf site
  • Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon, Appelhans 2006, ISBN 3-937664-46-7
Albert II, Duke of Brunswick
Cadet branch of the House of Este
Born: August 1267 Died: 7 September 1322
German nobility
Preceded by Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
1279–1291
with Henry I
William I
Succeeded by
New title Prince of Göttingen
1286–1318
Preceded by Prince of Wolfenbüttel
1292–1318